The Cult of the Underworld in Singapore

Mythology and Materiality

Bibliographic Data

ID3582803
AuthorsDean Koon Lee Wang (0000-0001-5173-8134, National University of Singapore, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume11
Issue7
Pages363
Publication date2020-07-17
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel11070363
OpenAlexW3043230999
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited16

Myths provide hagiographic and iconographic accounts of the gods, which shape rituals that are performed in cults associated with these gods. In the realization of iconographies and ritualization of narratives in myths, material objects play an active role. This article examines the pattern of worship in the cult of the Ah Pehs, a group of Underworld gods whose efficacy lies in the promise of occult wealth, and focuses on the material aspects such as offerings and paraphernalia associated with these gods. Though ritual texts and scriptures are absent in the Ah Peh cult, symbols in the form of material objects play a crucial role. These objects are also considered as synecdoche for the gods in certain cases. The first part of this paper presents a case study of the autonomous ritual of "Burning Prosperity Money", which reveals the cycle of occult exchange between gods and devotees. The second part involves an imagery analysis of the material objects central to the cult, and argues that in the system of reciprocity with the gods, material objects common to the everyday life are reinterpreted and enchanted with a capitalist turn, resulting in the development of occult economies within the local Chinese religious sphere

Aesthetics · Ancient history · Art · Cult · Literature · Mythology · Narrative · Prosperity · Sociology · Theology · Worship · Asian Studies and History · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · History · Law · Philosophy · Socioeconomic Development in Asia

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